AstroCurrents for September - Part One: Focus on Personal Goals, Purpose, Balance, Love, Passion and World Purpose and a New Cycle on Earth

The Astrological events listed below will affect us all, regardless of your sign.

“The Wheel of Life turns and we must turn with it.”
~as spoken to a disciple by his Master, from the book Druids

September 2nd Saturn enters Virgo until 10/29/09. Saturn is now changing signs for the first time in 2 1/2 years. This is always a significant event that many feel quite strongly, even if you do not know exactly what may be creating this.

Whenever Saturn changes signs we sense that our life is moving into new territory; that we are closing the book on one phase of our life and that a new one is about to emerge. The sign it is occurring in gives us indications of what is next on our agenda. And the house that transiting Saturn is in will give information as to the area of your life most affected. A reading will enlighten you as what this is and how to be better prepared for this important event. But let's take a look at what Saturn entering Virgo will be emphasizing for us all.

The sign of Virgo loves order and efficiency. And Saturn is all about purpose, intention and goals. Hence, this combo will increase our desire, and need, for creating a basic structure that supports our Goals and Purpose. The basic structure of your life has Saturn's prints all over it. So while Saturn is in Virgo, we will be drawn, even compelled, to get our lives in order and to create structures and systems that will support that happening.

While Saturn is in Virgo, its primary purpose(s) will be:

to help us get our house/office/business/health in order so that it “runs smoothly” and efficiently

to give us tools, means and ways to accomplish this very thing

to clear out the clutter, both physically and mentally

and through these things, to help us to find meaning in how we spend our time and our days

Saturn energies, when used in constructive and positive ways, can help you to:

evaluate where you are (honestly)

eliminate habits and ways of doing things that are counter-productive to your goals (it is the planet of discipline)

help you to define your purpose and intentions, in any given area of your life

to teach and/or show us the value of Living on Purpose, the degree to which is our choice

Remember, Saturn will be here over two years, and so you will have time to make all this happen. I will say that I have already noticed that many are feeling this shift to “get their life together,” starting with getting more organized in some way. And in fact, the early weeks and months of Saturn's presence in Virgo are going to be particularly strong in this way. So don't be surprised if you, too, will look around your office or your home and say “Enough! I simply cannot live with this clutter and disorganization any longer!” If this is you, get excited that you are tuned into this planetary shift and that you are ready to take charge of your life in this way.

Here are some questions to ask in the coming weeks that will help you to best take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to “get it together!”

what makes me feel most frustrated and ineffective?

how do I waste my time? My money? My resources?

what have I been meaning to do forever and haven't gotten to?

what can I eliminate from my life that is draining my time, energy and resources?

where do I want to be in one year? In three years? (etc.)

There is much more to write on this and to that end, I will be writing a separate article on what Saturn in Virgo means to us all and many ideas on how to best use this energy.

September 3 Mars square Uranus (retrograde) at 16°57' Gemini/Pisces. [The influence of this transit is at least 3 days before and after with Sunday and Monday (the 2nd and 3rd) being the most intense.]

This is quite a dynamic (i.e. loaded) aspect, and it is made even more so because the Moon will also be in Gemini, adding an emotional element to the mix. Basically, when Mars and Uranus meet, sparks fly. Expect this influence to bring lots of communications, lots of things requiring action (like NOW) and even some “crisis” (or two) that simply must be dealt with (which may look like a crisis at first but prove to not really be so!).

Here are some keys to handling this most volatile energy:

don't panic. Don't chase around putting out fires, as it may just be smoke.

keep your head as others may well be loosing theirs.

actively practice mindfulness, as there is a strong tendency to scatter your energy and thus waste time in purposeless activity

avoid having really important conversations during this time if at all possible

BREATH

In general, there is a strong sense of urgency in the air. Communications and conversations may be difficult as misunderstandings are possible. SLOW DOWN and LISTEN.

So what are these energies good for? Anything requiring quick decision-making, such as clearing off your desk, cleaning out your in-box or garage or going though anything or place that requires de-cluttering. This can be a most decisive energy...just don't eliminate those things you really do need!

September 5 Mercury enters Libra until 9/27. Thank goodness for Mercury entering Libra, the sign of balance and harmony, at this time, as we will need it! This will help to temper all the intensity many will be feeling now. Use this placement to find solutions to the “too much to do” syndrome. It can help to foster understanding through avoiding being critical or judgmental.

Qualities available now, through consciously focusing on them, are:

balance through compromise

peace of mind

allowing and opening yourself to give and receive

This placement of Mercury offers us an invitation to see Divine Order rather than chaos and confusion. All we need to do is ask for that view.

“I could see Peace instead of this.”
~Course in Miracles, L#34

September 7 Pluto stations direct at 26°18' Sagittarius until 4/2/08. In many ways, this station of Pluto “drives” this entire time period (at least 3 weeks before and after). There are many reasons for this, but two in particular come to mind.

It is conjunct, or in the same part of the sky, as what is called The Galactic Center. For those of you who don't know what that is:

“The Galactic Center is the rotational center of the Milky Way galaxy. It is located in the brightest part of the Milky Way, in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius.”

And for those who don't know what this means, well, you're not alone. It is such a profound event that we are lost for words, at least for the most part. Some feel it is a most significant event astrologically and spiritually, and many are feeling the vibrations or influences of this most mystical and profound event in ways that very likely reside just off our radar or just out of range of our conscious awareness. Even so, we know something is there.

It feels like this is a most important time for the evolution of the planet, of which many are writing about. It is as though there is a pulse or wave of energy from this center that is being magnified through the planet Pluto. Perhaps this pulse is seeking to bring us impressions or information about why we are here and about The Plan for Our World.

Obviously these are big (huge) topics. A search on the net can give you some additional information if this topic intrigues you. (I suggest putting in Pluto conjunct galactic center). By the way, Pluto has been here off and on for a while now (about 20 months) and this is the final conjunction before it moves along. This rare and powerful event does enhance the overall energies of this month. And it can be helpful to know that yes, there are celestial events occurring that are accelerating the frequencies that you may be feeling.

Perhaps the best advice I can offer is to pay attention to the subtleties around you. Give notice to the impulses that are emerging from within and honor the life force within, and around you. And don't worry if you aren't “getting it”, as these are virtually impossible to wrap our mental arms around. I feel if I can sense this at any level, in any way, I am doing quite well.

Your only task need be to “Remember Your Essence.” This rare celestial event can assist you in opening to who you truly are, which is Divine in origin.

The other reason the station of Pluto is so significant is that its next station retrograde will be in the sign of Capricorn (4/2/08). This gives a strong feeling of endings and beginnings of cycles-personally, politically, culturally and spiritually. I will be writing more on this in the months ahead, but for now, it is yet another indicator that things are indeed changing.

September 8 Venus stations direct at 16°36' Leo until 3/6/09. And yet another powerful event occurring at this time! Venus stations are opportunities to open our heart, to feel our own Soul's love for us, and to share with those we love and care about how we feel. If you are experiencing any confusion or resistance to any of these potent energies, the most direct answer is love.

Recently, you may have been exploring ways to express yourself more creatively, or perhaps you have been drawn to find “your passion.” Now, it is most important to acknowledge this in your life. Giving some attention to this aspect of yourself will be very fulfilling and ground this creative energy in your consciousness. Play, write, sing, draw, dance. Allow Venus to be your Muse.

Beauty and the role it plays in your life and your home are also a focus. You may want to redecorate or bring color into your life. Again, honoring Venus in some way will assist you to open your heart to life. Invite Her into your life and ask her to show you Her ways.

Some other themes now accented by this station of Venus are values, finances, self worth and relationships of all kinds.

September 11 New Moon/Solar Eclipse at 18°25' Virgo at 5:44 am PDT. This eclipse marks the beginning of a new cycle focusing on many of the topics I've mentioned above. Being ushered in is an energy that can bring us a clean sweep in some area, or areas, of our life. The key here is to clean out what has served its purpose as you embrace this energy.

Eclipses often bring in things we didn't ask for. Events take place that we didn't see coming, yet this is truly not a “bad” thing. In fact, if we allow ourselves to see that Life comes in cycles, then we will see that whatever is happening is exactly what is needed to begin this new phase.

Some keywords are: order, efficiency, assimilation, rhythm, service, mindfulness, focus, simplicity and humility. Take some time to see how these qualities occur in your life during this Eclipse (allowing at least a few days to do so).

“Rhythm is the carrier of Life.”
~Rudolph Steiner

And a reminder from my last AstroCurrents:

NOTE: From now until the middle of September there is a particularly strong influence affecting us all from the mutable signs, (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces). This places a strong focus on the mental, including our thoughts, ideas, conversations and the written and verbal word. It is not uncommon to experience feeling nervous or anxious, and to worry or fret about things under such energies. Much of this is a result to being “overly mental” or of the mind working overtime. If you are experiencing these things, it would help to avoid anything that is over-stimulating (i.e. too much tv or computer time, too much conversation, etc.).Also helpful would be doing simple basic things with mindfulness, such as deep breathing, walking, yoga and prayer. It may well also be helpful to get a reading that focuses on your chart and how this emphasis on the mutable signs impacts your chart directly.

For more information about Mt. Shasta, California, astrologer Elizabeth Jones, visit her web site at www.starpathways.com, or you can
easily reach her at ejones@starpathways.com. Her phone number is 530-926-1999.